1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of hydraulic circuits and, more particularly, to a variable volume reservoir.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hydraulic circuits typically include a hydraulic reservoir of fixed volume, a pump for circulating the hydraulic fluid within a specific circuit, a filter and a cooler. The volume of the hydraulic reservoir is typically defined in accordance with the pumping rate of the pump. In general, the capacity of the reservoir is two to three times greater than the pumping rate of the pump and sometimes even more. This results in bulky reservoirs.
Furthermore, the presence of air in hydraulic fluid is often problematic. For instance, the air may contaminate and oxidize the hydraulic fluid, cause pump cavitation problems, and may represent a risk of fire hazard.
Accordingly, efforts have been made to isolate the reserve of fluid of a hydraulic system from the atmosphere and the surrounding medium. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,189, issued on Jul. 30, 1963 to Blondiau, discloses a fluid reservoir having a hollow body for containing a fluid and an elastic diaphragm adapted to fit within the hollow body to exert a pressure on the fluid. The bottom surface of the diaphragm follows the fluid level, according to the demand from the hydraulic circuits connected to the reservoir.
The AMSAA technical report No. 426 entitled xe2x80x9cHydraulic Design Guidebook Survivability And System Effectivenessxe2x80x9d that was published by the Fluid Power Research Center Of the Oklahoma State University in August 1986 discloses a critical volume reservoir (CVR) comprising a cylindrical vessel and a piston that is axially slidable in the cylindrical vessel. The piston divides the interior space of the cylindrical vessel into first and second variable volume chambers. The first chamber is connected in fluid flow communication with a hydraulic system. The second chamber houses a compression spring acting on the piston to resist movement thereof under the pressure exerted thereon by the fluid in the first chamber. The force of reaction induced in the spring is directly transmitted from the piston to the top cover plate of the cylindrical vessel. The top cover plate must therefore be of sturdy construction. The fact that the spring is located within the cylindrical vessel also contributes to increasing the space occupied by the reservoir.
Although the variable volume reservoirs disclosed in the above-mentioned documents permits isolating the hydraulic fluid from the atmosphere, it has been found that there is still a need for a new lightweight and compact reservoir that is adapted to feed a hydraulic fluid under pressure to a hydraulic system, without inducing additional mechanical stress in the structure of the reservoir.
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a minimal volume reservoir for supplying hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic system in order to meet the particular needs thereof.
It is also an aim of the present invention to isolate a hydraulic fluid from a potential source of contamination.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a fluid reservoir that is relatively simple and economical to manufacture.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a variable volume reservoir adapted to slightly pressurize a reserve of hydraulic fluid, while minimizing mechanical stress in the structure of the reservoir.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a reservoir for supplying hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic system to meet the needs thereof, comprising a body defining a variable volume chamber, a port for connecting said variable volume chamber to the hydraulic system, and a restrainer urging said variable volume chamber towards a collapsed position, said restrainer being arranged so that when the variable volume chamber expands under the fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid against a biasing force of the restrainer, a force of reaction in the restrainer equal and opposite to the biasing force is transmitted to an outer surface of the body in a direction opposite to the fluid pressure exerted by the hydraulic fluid on an inner surface of the body opposite said inner surface, thereby allowing the force of reaction in the restrainer to be counterbalanced by the fluid pressure in the variable volume chamber.
In accordance with a further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reservoir for use in a hydraulic circuit, comprising a body defining a variable volume chamber, a port for operatively connecting the variable volume chamber to the hydraulic circuit, said variable volume chamber having a part movable with the level of fluid in said chamber, a device opposing movement of said part under fluid pressure, said device including a traction rod connected to said part, and a biasing member acting on said traction rod to urge said part towards a collapsed position.